We have just returned from our every-five-years family reunion at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado. Seeing cousins, sisters and brothers, nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews all in one gathering was great. I’ll be posting a few pictures later.

Our cabin at Idlewilde in Estes Park

We stayed at a cabin just feet away from the Big Thompson river, where we had many Sabbath Moments reading as we sat in comfortable Adirondack chairs. Hummingbirds buzzed around the feeders – always a joy to see in the Rockies.

The forest fires in Colorado have taken many homes and cost a few people their lives. While we were in Denver for a couple of days visiting friends before ascending to Estes Park, smoke invaded the hotel. I prayed for the displaced families who lost nearly everything in the fires. When we left Colorado, over 500 homes had been destroyed, a harsh reminder of the temporariness of earthly goods.

Prayers for Forgiveness

While at the reunion we attended Mass at Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church, a rustic structure of wood and stone, perfectly fitting for the location. They have a Divine Mercy window as well as windows featuring symbols of the seven sacraments and the Blessed Virgin. I especially appreciated the huge sign on a pillar at the front of the church with an arrow pointing right. The sign directed people to the confessionals and Father Joe Hartmann, pastor, spoke of Divine Mercy in his sermon in keeping with the Gospel reading for the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The bulletin carried three prayers for forgiveness that I thought were too beautiful not to share. One is from The Living Bible, but I don’t know where the other two are from.

I. O Lord, Jesus Christ, Redeemer and Savior, forgive my sins, just as You forgave Peter’s denial and those who crucified You. Count not my transgressions, but, rather, my tears of repentance. Remember not my iniquities, but, more especially, my sorrow for the offenses I have committed against You. I long to be true to Your Word, and pray that You will love me and come to make Your dwelling place within me. I promise to give You praise and glory in love and in service all the days of my life.

II. O loving and kind God, have mercy. Have pity upon me and take away the awful stain of my transgressions. Oh, wash me, cleanse me from this guilt. Let me be pure again. For I admit my shameful deed – it haunts me day and night. It is against you and you alone I sinned and did this terrible thing. You saw it all, and your sentence against me is just. Create in me a new, clean heart, O God, filled with clean thoughts and right desires. Don’t toss me aside, banished forever from your presence. Don’t take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me again the joy of Your salvation and make me willing to obey you. (Psalm 51: 1-12 TLB).

III. Faultless Lord, enduring death for me, You have consummated the debt of my sins: Your sacrifice of forgiveness was absolute!

Grant me the strength to also forgive others, to excuse their transgressions against me. So I may truly reflect this spiritual fruit, obliterate any persistent feelings of malice.

Let each trespass end as a closing chapter, my continuing on the road of righteousness. Forgive my sins as I aspire to forgive others. You are truly archetypical of forgiveness. You are a most forgiving Lord!